Senate backs ban on informal transfers of adopteesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas Senate unanimously approved measures Thursday banning the informal transfer of adopted children known as "re-homing" — proposals prompted by a lawmaker who gave away his adopted daughters to a man who later admitted to sexually assaulting one of them. With no debate, senators approved a proposal criminalizing the practice of giving an adopted child to an unrelated family without state oversight and another propo...

Key part of Arkansas prison plan given final OKLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A central part of Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson's plan to ease prison overcrowding by clearing the way for the state to partner with counties on regional facilities and expanding alternative sentencing has been given final approval by lawmakers. The bill approved on a 33-0 vote by the Senate on Thursday is aimed at helping clear the backlog of more than 2,600 state inmates at county jails. It allows inmates to apply for Medic...

House: Please drop the egg ban, coo-coo-ca-chooLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas state representative says if California places a "substantial burden" on the Arkansas egg industry, he wants to do the same to California wines. The Arkansas House voted 57-19 Thursday to bar California wine imports. Republican Rep. Dan Douglas of Bentonville says he drafted his bill to protest a voter-approved California law blocking imports of eggs from hens kept in cages so small the animals cannot turn around...

Texarkana city manager resigns, cites health issuesTEXARKANA, Ark. (AP) — The city manager of Texarkana has announced his resignation, citing ongoing health issues. City Manager Harold Boldt said Wednesday at a press conference that he will begin dialysis soon, and will likely need a kidney transplant. "In my life right now, stress is a big deal, and it's a part of being a city manager," Boldt said. "When I'm in a meeting and you see me, you don't know what I'm thinking. I have to sit on my em...

House supports overhaul to lottery scholarshipLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas' lottery-funded scholarships would be awarded based on the number of credit hours earned by college students under a proposal endorsed by the House. The bill advanced to the Senate on Thursday in a 77-0 vote. Republican Rep. Dwight Tosh of Jonesboro says the change would begin in 2016 and require the Department of Higher Education to award scholarships based on credit hours instead of academic year. Tosh says the ch...

Lawmakers OK cutting funding to Planned ParenthoodLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers have given final approval to cutting off any public funding to abortion providers and entities that refer women to abortion providers, a move that's aimed at blocking money Planned Parenthood has received for sex education programs. By a 70-8 vote, the Republican-controlled House backed the prohibition, which would also apply to "affiliates" of entities that perform abortions or referrals. The measure now ...

Senate backs limit on Common Core test contractLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas Senate has voted to limit the length of the state's contract with a testing company whose assessments are based on Common Core education standards. The bill approved by the Senate on a 22-2 vote Thursday prevents the state from entering into a contract for more than a year with the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. The measure requires the state to consider the recommendations from...

House rejects ending life sentences for juvenilesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Juvenile offenders in Arkansas will continue to be sentenced to life without parole for certain crimes after the state House rejected a bill to end the practice. House members voted 53-29 Thursday against the proposal to eliminate the sentence for future offenders who are under the age of 18 when they commit a crime. The bill would not have been retroactive but would have required the families of victims be notified of parol...

Senate rejects Medicaid plan freeze proposalLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An effort to stop signing people up for Arkansas' compromise Medicaid expansion has failed in the state Senate. The Senate voted 15-13 Thursday against the bill to require the state to seek approval from the federal government to freeze enrollment in the "private option," which uses federal funds to purchase private insurance for the poor. The program was crafted as an alternative to the Medicaid expansion envisioned under t...

Governor says he'd sign religious protection billLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday he would sign into law a religious protection measure that opponents have said amounts to a license to discriminate against gays and lesbians in the state. The Republican governor said he supports the latest version of a bill prohibiting state and local government from infringing upon someone's religious beliefs without a "compelling government interest." The Senate is expected to t...

Veterans Affairs department approves land for nursing homeNORTH LITTLE ROCK (AP) — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has approved the transfer of 30 acres of land to Arkansas to build a new veterans nursing home in North Little Rock. Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald approved the transfer Tuesday, which will also allow Arkansas to receive a $15.6 million grant to start construction on the facility this summer. The land will officially be transferred to the state after a 90-day congress...

House panel OKs drug testing for benefits billLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansans who apply for certain job-training benefits and other family aid could be required to take a drug test under a bill endorsed by a House committee. The House Committee on Public Health, Welfare and Labor sent the bill to the full House in a voice vote Thursday. It would create a two-year pilot program in which the Department of Workforce Services would be required to question applicants and to refer people deemed as...

Florida man named new economic development chiefLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has selected a Florida official to lead the state's economic development efforts. Hutchinson on Thursday announced he had hired Mike Preston as the new executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Preston has served as director of government relations for the past several years for Enterprise Florida, that state's official economic development organization. Hutchinson's off...

$220K settlement reached in lawsuit against TexarkanaTEXARKANA (AP) — A $220,000 settlement has been reached in a lawsuit filed by a former Texarkana city clerk against the southwestern Arkansas city and other public officials. The Texarkana Gazette reported that Patti Scott Grey filed the lawsuit regarding her termination by the city's Board of Directors last February. Her firing came amid allegations that she accused city manager Harold Boldt of stealing and inappropriately using her signature...

Proposed Ten Commandments display advances to Senate voteLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A day after it stalled before a legislative panel, an effort to allow a privately funded monument to the Ten Commandments near the Arkansas Capitol advanced to the state Senate on Tuesday for a vote. The Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee endorsed by a voice vote the proposal to let a private group pay for and build a monument to the commandments on the Capitol grounds. The bill by Republican Sen. Jason...

Panel OKs bills banning 're-homing' of adopteesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Legislation banning the "re-homing" of some adopted children is heading to the Arkansas Senate for a vote, a move prompted by a state lawmaker who gave his adopted daughters to away to a man who later sexually assaulted one of them. The Senate Judiciary Committee endorsed legislation on Tuesday that would make most transfers of adopted children without state oversight felony offenses, punishable by up to five years in prison...

Senate panel backs 'conscience protection' measureLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An effort to prevent Arkansas government from infringing on someone's religious beliefs was revived Tuesday, with a state Senate panel advancing a bill that critics have called a thinly veiled endorsement of discrimination against gays and lesbians. The legislation approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee would ban state and local government from taking action that would burden someone's religious beliefs unless a "compell...

Religious expression bill rejected by House panelLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas House committee has again rejected a proposal to support religious expression in a student's coursework or attire. Opponents have said the bill is unnecessary and unconstitutional. The House Education Committee in a voice vote Tuesday did not advance a bill to bar school districts from discriminating against a student or parent on the basis of religion. Republican Rep. Justin Harris of West Fork says his bill is ...

House supports plan to ease prison overcrowdingLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas House has endorsed a key part of Gov. Asa Hutchinson's criminal justice reform plan to help ease overcrowding at county jails. Lawmakers voted 79-5 Tuesday to allow the state to partner with county jails on regional facilities to help clear the backlog of more than 2,600 state inmates at the facilities. It also allows inmates to apply for Medicaid benefits and provides avenues for them to enroll in drug and alco...

Senate OKs allowing concealed guns in courthousesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — County employees and elected officials could carry concealed handguns in a courthouse if a quorum court approves the practice under legislation approved by the Arkansas Senate. The bill approved by the Senate on a 33-1 vote Tuesday would allow concealed handguns by licensees if they're employees or elected officials whose principal place of employment is within the courthouse, the courthouse annex or other building owned, le...